Trump MobAJ Robinson

I run low, this week, on the ability to get angry over the criminal acts of Trump. Trump, his little minions and the Republicans, in general, take lies and contempt for the Constitution to a new level that is shocking and sad. His insensitivity, contempt for the rule of law and civil society as well as treasonous activities creates more dsyphoria than anger these days.

• Barr is AG of Trump, not America.

His Attorney General (AG) was a no-show at a recent congressional hearing. Note how I called Barr, Attorney General for Trump, not the nation, as he clearly isn’t the latter. That is clear given how hard he’s working for Trump. Let that sink in for a moment. Even during the worst of the Watergate scandal, even after the Saturday Night Massacre, there was a sense that the Department of Justice and the AG, John Dean, were not merely the law offices or, the lawyer for, Richard Nixon.

I don’t feel that way this time, which is scary. What truly burns my bacon is this is yet another example of Republican hypocrisy. Let’s review, shall we?

When Benghazi was the soup de jour, Congress held how many hearings; many? This was despite the fact that the first one found nothing, the second nothing and so on. Talk of a true witch-hunt.

Still, Hillary Clinton did her duty. She marched on up to Congress, sat before the committees and answered all questions thrown at her. She endured all of the insults and snide remarks. Each time she did answered, her responses were complete and detailed sentences, she never once invoked the Fifth or used the old “I can’t recall” trope.

Contrast that with almost every member of the Trump administration, up to and including the Great Orange, himself. First, he refuses to testify before Mueller, gave only written answers and most of those replies consisted of total non-responses, such as “I don’t recall.” His minions routinely ignore calls from congressional committees for documents and testimony and he has openly ordered them not to comply.

• Most everyone seems oblivious.

Yet, politicians, pundits and the media seem oblivious, not outranged. Once again, for some inexplicable reason, the Orange gets a free pass on activity that is at the very least immoral and, more often than not, outright illegal. Why, for the life of me, I still am unable to figure this out.

Once again, I have to mention the painfully obvious comparison between the Great Orange and President Blacula. If Obama had refused to answer questions, if he’d stalled Congress, told aides not to cooperate with committees and, oh, whom are we kidding? If Obama had merely done the first item on the list, crucifixion was his fate, in the media, and impeached, in the House, in a week.

Barr and Mnuchin, Secretary of the US Treasury, are both in contempt of Congress, which is a crime. The former won’t answer questions and the latter refuses to turn over the tax returns, of Trump, legitimately requested.

Let’s be clear on that final point. Mnuchin is in violation of a federal statute, even though he claims the request for tax returns is illegitimate. Yet, will Barr and Mnuchin suffer any punishment for their illegal acts? To be honest, I don’t know. In fact, I don’t think they will. Why, I have no clue, but it is another step in the collapse of our nation.

• Will the cracks grow?

The cracks in the foundation exist. Will they be patched or grow? Who will doI don’t know, and that is the scariest thing of all.

Combining the gimlet-eye, of Philip Roth, with the precisive mind of Lionel Trilling, AJ Robinson writes about what goes bump in the mind, of 21st century adults. Raised in Boston, with summers on Martha's Vineyard, AJ now lives in Florida. Most of the time he writes, but sometimes he works at Disney World to renew his fantasies and get a few dollars more. AJ writes, with insight and passion, about his family and his dog. His liberal, note the small "l," sensibilities often lead to bouts of righteous indignation, well focused and true.